Jason Statham and director David Ayer found success with both The Beekeeper ($162M) and last year’s A Working Man ($98M). Now they’re going for a third hit, as Deadline reports they are reuniting for John Doe, an action film from The Avengers and Ready Player One writer Zak Penn.
In John Doe, Statham plays the Man with No Name, “a man with no memory, no past, and no name — and only one face he can’t forget: Eliza. As fragments of his identity return, he discovers he was trained for a mission still in motion and is being hunted by the very people who sent him. With enemies closing in, John must choose between finishing what he started… or protecting the one thing that makes him feel human: love.”
Coming up for Statham is Guy Ritchie’s Layer Cake sequel, Viva La Madness. He’s also due to reunite with Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitch for meta action-comedy Jason Statham Stole My Bike. Next up for Ayer is the Brad Pitt-led adventure movie Heart of the Beast.
Production on John Doe is expected to begin in September.
The night before a festival premiere, someone is always checking links. A coordinator sits with a laptop, opening each invite one by one, making sure it works. Nearby, the director is waiting for a simple answer: will the screening stay private or not. One broken setting or shared link can push an unreleased film straight into piracy within hours. Teams in this space stopped relying on basic tools a while ago. They bring in a web application development agency to set up controlled access where every viewer is tracked, sessions are limited, and the film stays protected without making the process harder for invited guests. When it works, everything feels simple. People open the link, press play, and watch without delays or issues, even when hundreds join at the same time.
Where private screenings used to fail
Private screenings moved online quickly, yet early setups were not built for controlled distribution. Teams relied on password-protected links, shared drives, or lightly secured streaming tools. These solutions worked until they didn’t.
The main risks appeared in predictable ways:
Links forwarded outside the intended audience
Screen recordings shared within minutes of release
Platforms crashing when audience size exceeded expectations
Lack of tracking to identify where a leak started
A single breach could undermine months of production and distribution planning. Studios began treating private streaming as a high-risk operation, not a temporary workaround.
Why external teams became part of the process
Most studios do not maintain in-house infrastructure for secure streaming. Building it internally requires time, expertise, and ongoing maintenance that does not align with production cycles. External teams fill that gap with focused experience.
The shift happened for practical reasons:
Faster setup aligned with festival timelines
Access to tested security layers without building from scratch
Ability to scale viewership without reconfiguring systems mid-event
Dedicated support during live screenings
This approach reduces uncertainty. Instead of assembling tools under pressure, studios rely on systems that have already been tested in similar conditions.
What secure streaming actually requires
Security in this context is not a single feature. It is a combination of controls that work together. Missing one element creates a weak point that can be exploited.
Core components typically include:
Token-based access Each viewer receives a unique session link that cannot be reused
Device and session control Limits on how many devices can access a screening at the same time
Dynamic watermarking Visible or invisible identifiers tied to each stream
Content encryption Streams protected during delivery to prevent interception
Real-time monitoring Detection of unusual behavior during the screening
These elements operate in parallel. Removing any one of them increases exposure.
The trade-off between security and usability
Tight security often creates friction. Multiple authentication steps, strict device limits, and session restrictions can disrupt the viewing experience. This tension defines how platforms are designed.
Teams must balance:
Protection against leaks
Ease of access for invited viewers
Stability during peak login periods
A system that is too restrictive frustrates legitimate users. A system that is too open invites distribution risks. The balance is not theoretical. It determines whether viewers complete the screening or abandon it midway.
What happens during live screenings
The most critical moment is not setup. It is the first ten minutes after access opens. This is when the highest number of users attempt to log in, test playback, and confirm access.
Playback issues across different devices and browsers
Last-minute access changes requested by organizers
Real-time monitoring alerts that require immediate action
External teams usually remain active during this window, adjusting configurations and resolving issues as they appear. Their role shifts from setup to live control.
Why festivals rely on this model
Film festivals operate under strict schedules and high visibility. Delays or failures during private screenings affect press coverage, distribution deals, and audience perception. Reliability becomes a requirement, not an advantage.
The model works because it addresses three constraints:
Limited preparation time between screenings
High expectations from industry professionals
Need for controlled access without disrupting experience
By partnering with external teams, festivals avoid building infrastructure that would only be used during specific periods.
What separates secure platforms from unstable ones
The difference is not always visible before launch. It appears in how the system behaves when used by real audiences. Stable platforms handle variation without requiring manual intervention.
Common characteristics include:
Consistent playback across devices
Immediate access without repeated authentication failures
Clear tracking of user sessions
Ability to adjust limits without interrupting the stream
Platforms that lack these qualities often require constant oversight, increasing the risk of errors during the event.
What this changes for the industry
Private screenings are no longer confined to physical spaces. Digital access expands reach, yet introduces new risks that must be managed. The industry has adapted by treating streaming infrastructure as part of distribution, not a separate function.
Studios and festivals that adopt this approach maintain control over their content while extending access to a wider audience. Those that rely on improvised solutions face repeated issues that affect both security and experience. Over time, the difference defines how effectively a release is managed before it reaches the public.
One of the cool things about Marvel’s Spider-Man universe is that you’ve got characters that encompass all sorts of genres beyond straight superheroics. You’ve got cosmic (Cosmic Spider-Man, Venom), horror (Man-Spider), paranormal (Madame Web), and so much more. Sony and Prime Video are exploiting this fact with a live-action 1930s detective series, Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage in a role he previously voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Noir stars Cage as Ben Reilly, a grizzled 1930s detective who gave up being New York City’s only costumed hero The Spider after a personal tragedy. But now he’s been drawn back to the mask due to an exceptional case that has him confronting the past and the life he walked away from.
Also in the cast playing significant Marvel characters are Lamorne Morris as journalist Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy aka Black Cat, Jack Huston as Flint Marko aka Sandman, and Brendan Gleeson as mob boss Silvermane. Also in the sizable ensemble are Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson, and Kai Caster
Co-showrunners on Spider-Noir are Oren Uziel of 22 Jump Street fame, and Steve Lightfoot, known for Marvel/Netflix series The Punisher. They developed the show with producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the team behind the animated Spider-Verse movies and a little thing called Project Hail Mary. Emmy winner Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag) directed the first couple of episodes, as well.
Spider-Noir streams globally on MGM+ on May 25th before hitting Prime Video on May 27th. Audiences will have an option to watch it in either black & white or full color, as seen in the two different trailers.
As expected, the King of Pop ruled this week with a massive and record breaking $97M weekend. This follows on a huge night of Thursday previews where Antoine Fuqua’s Michael earned $13M. The overall domestic number easily crushes the previous record for music biopics, Straight Outta Compton‘s $60M, as well as for biopics as a whole, Oppenheimer‘s $82.4M. Worldwide, the Jaafar Jackson-led crowd-pleaser has $217M.
2. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie– $21.2M/$386.4M
3. Project Hail Mary– $13.2M/$305.4M
4. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy– $5.6M/$23.4M
5. The Drama– $2.6M/$44.8M
6. Hoppers– $1.9M/$164.1M
7. You, Me & Tuscany– $1.5M/$17.6M
8. Over Your Dead Body– $1.4M
IFC released the festival favorite Over Your Dead Body into 1,550 theaters and earned just $1.4M, not even enough to top the eighth week of Hoppers in fewer locations. Ouch. The Jason Segel/Samara Weaving action-comedy about an unhappy couple who go on a vacation with secret plans to kill one another, holds at 69% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. I heard so much about this film that I expected it to perform better, but perhaps Michael just sucked all of the air out of the room?
A24 expanded David Lowery’s chamber drama/concert film/body horror Mother Mary into 1,100 theaters, where it earned $1.2M. Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel lead the film about a pop star diva and her former fashion designer, engaged in a war of words and weird supernatural stuff as the latter designs a new dress. Reviews were merely okay, currently at 68% from critics and a “rotten” 57% from audiences, so this one might just fade away before anyone realizes it was even here.
10. American Youngboy– $1.1M
Also…Roadside Attractions released the ticking bomb thriller Fuze (review), starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James, into 1,164 theaters where it earned $1.1M. The film, which premiered at TIFF last year, was directed by David Mackenzie of Hell or High Water fame.
I Swear, the BAFTA Award-winning drama led by Robert Aramayo as Tourette Syndrome activist John Davidson (yes, the same guy who shouted at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo), was released stateside by Sony Pictures Classics into 645 theaters, earning just $640K.
Finally, Greenwich Entertainment dropped the well-reviewed road trip drama Omaha (review) into just one New York location where it earned a whopping $13,500. The film, led by John Magaro and Molly Belle Wright (who I spoke to about it) will expand into more theaters in May.
Way back in 2012, Oldboy director Park Chan-wook became attached to do a Western, which was pretty cool in and of itself. Originally titled The Brigands of Rattleborge, it featured a script by Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 writer/director S. Craig Zahler, before he became known for those ultra-violent cult classics. Matthew McConaughey boarded the retitled Brigands Of Rattlecreek, but it failed to find a permanent home both at Warner Bros. and later at Amazon, who likely found it a tough sell. It never went anywhere, but potential like that doesn’t just disappear, and now with an A-list cast aboard, it’s red-hot all over again.
Deadline reports that Park has added Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, and Tang Wei to the cast alongside McConaughey, who clearly isn’t going anywhere after all of these years. The story centers on a local sheriff and a doctor who team up to get revenge against outlaws who are using the cover of a torrential rainstorm to terrorize a small town and murder its residents. McConaughey had been expected to play the doctor role, but the new report doesn’t make that clear. Perhaps things have changed?
McConaughey, Pascal, and Butler is enough celebrity firepower to get just about any project moving again. Tang Wei is less known, but the Chinese actress has been terrific in a lot of films, including Park’s acclaimed Decision to Leave in 2022.
I can scarcely think of a better pairing than Park, whose specialty is hyper-violent, tightly wound, darkly comedic stories of revenge, with Zahler whose vicious screenplays hit you like blunt force trauma to the head. With this new casting, The Brigands of Rattlecreek is almost too good to be true.
Ever heard of a “Hall Pass”? They even made a movie about them. It’s when a couple grants one another a freebie sexual encounter outside of the relationship. Many couples also have a celebrity version of this, where they can sleep with the star of their dreams if the chance should arise. It’s ridiculous and unlikely to ever come true…but what if it did? There’s nobody better to skewer this improbable myth than Wet Hot American Summer and They Come Together director David Wain, whose latest film, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass was one of the funniest comedies I saw at Sundance this year.
Zoey Deutch stars as oblivious small-town girl Gail Daughtry, whose utter devotion to her fiancé and high school sweetheart gets blown up when he cashes in his celebrity sex pass and gets caught doing it. Her mind blown, Gail escapes to Los Angeles with her best friend Otto to cash in her own celebrity sex pass with…Jon Hamm. What unfolds is a Wizard of Oz-esque misadventure that includes Hamm’s old Mad Men pal, John Slattery, playing a hilariously insecure version of himself.
The film was directed by Wain, and co-written with Ken Marino who also has a role in the film. Also in the cast are Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, Joe Lo Truglio, Sabrina Impacciatore, Thomas Lennon, and Kerri Kenney-Silver, so plenty of familiar faces to fans of Wain’s movies.
SYNOPSIS: Small town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom. Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to Tom meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass.” Reeling from the betrayal, Gail impulsively joins her friend Otto on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm. Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Hamm. Along the way, they collide with celebrities and are hunted by a group of Italian assassins as they get ever closer to finding the elusive star.
Sony Pictures Classics releases Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass in theaters on July 10th. You can check out my early review here.
There’s something about gambling movies that sticks. Maybe it’s the tension of a final hand, the spiral of a bad bet, or just the way these stories flirt with chaos. Whatever the reason, audiences have consistently gravitated toward films that capture the highs and lows of risking it all. While critics don’t always line up with public opinion, the audience scores paint a clear picture: the most gripping gambling films are the ones that feel unpredictable, messy, and just a little dangerous.
Near the top of that list sits Uncut Gems, a film that thrives on anxiety. Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner isn’t your typical movie gambler; he’s loud, reckless, and constantly one step from disaster. The film’s relentless pace mirrors the chaos of sports betting, and audiences responded to that authenticity. It’s uncomfortable viewing at times, but that’s exactly why it works. And perhaps it was a contributing factor to this game being so popular at leading gaming sites, including Swiper casino.
Not far behind is Casino, which remains a heavyweight decades after release. Martin Scorsese’s deep dive into Las Vegas isn’t just about gambling; it’s about power, control, and inevitable collapse. Viewers still rate it highly because it doesn’t glamorise the lifestyle for long. Beneath the bright lights, everything feels fragile, and that tension keeps pulling people back in.
Then there’s Rounders, a cult favourite that arguably aged into its popularity. At release, it was modest. Over time, audiences embraced its underground poker world and its focus on skill over luck. Matt Damon’s performance as a law student balancing ambition with risk gives the film a grounded edge, while Edward Norton adds just enough volatility to keep things interesting. It’s one of those films that poker fans return to again and again.
Biographical storytelling also resonates strongly, particularly with High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story. It doesn’t have the polish of bigger productions, but audiences connect with its raw portrayal of a gifted player undone by addiction. There’s no glamour here, just a steady decline that feels honest. That sincerity is likely why it continues to earn respect from viewers.
On the more classic end, The Hustler and The Cincinnati Kid still rank surprisingly high. These films rely less on spectacle and more on character and psychological tension. The games themselves almost feel secondary to the mind games being played, which gives them a timeless quality that modern audiences still appreciate.
Meanwhile, Molly’s Game offers a different perspective. Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Molly Bloom flips the usual narrative, focusing on control rather than chaos. Audiences responded to its fast dialogue and insider feel, making it one of the more modern entries to gain strong approval.
Even films that aren’t strictly about gambling, like Rain Man, earn high audience scores thanks to memorable casino sequences. The blackjack scenes, in particular, left a lasting impression and helped cement the film’s broader appeal.
What ties all of these together isn’t just gambling itself, but consequence. The best-rated films aren’t about winning big; they’re about what happens next. Whether it’s obsession, ego, or pure desperation, audiences seem to favour stories where the stakes feel real. And in that sense, the house doesn’t always win, but it always gets the last word.
While superhero movies aren’t dead, let’s be real that video game movies are beginning to take over. Some of the biggest hits of the last few years have been Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. movies, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Minecraft, with many more on the way. If you don’t believe me, check out the news that Christopher McQuarrie is set to direct a movie based on the bestselling Battlefield shooter games, with Michael B. Jordan eyed to star, assuming a deal comes together.
THR reports that McQuarrie will write, produce, and direct Battlefield, with Jordan set to produce and possibly star. Jordan is fresh off his Best Actor Oscar win for Sinners, so this would be a huge get to land him in the lead role.
Battlefield is based on the Electronic Arts military shooter video game franchise which first launched in 2002 and has sold more than 90M units. Last year’s Battlefield 6 was the highest-selling game with more than 7M units sold in three days.
The film is out to potential buyers now, and is expected to be one of the hottest packages going around Hollywood, with the plan to turn this into a massive Battlefield cinematic universe.
McQuarrie is best known for being joined at the hip with his pal Tom Cruise, teaming with him on multiple Mission: Impossible films. He also won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects. Recently, he’s been attached to a King Conan movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Jordan was just confirmed to star in Miami Vice ’85 alongside Austin Butler. He’s already filmed a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, and has I Am Legend 2 coming up, as well as a sequel to Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse. Next month, he can be heard in Netflix’s animated film, Swapped. And surely he’ll have a role in a third Black Panther movie, right?
Critics and the bad reviews be damned, people showed up in droves to see Michael. Antoine Fuqua’s biopic opened with a massive $13M in Thursday night previews, with projections of a $80M-$90M+ weekend. If that happens, it’ll be the highest opening ever for a musical biopic, easily surpassing Straight Outta Compton‘s $60M debut in 2015, and the $50M by Bohemian Rhapsody, which featured Best Actor winner Rami Malek. Could we end up seeing similar accolades for Jaafar Jackson?
Okay, maybe not for that last question, but one never knows. It’s clear that audiences and critics were miles apart on this one. The film currently holds a 40% “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, on the other hand, have given the film a 96% “fresh” score.
Chances are that most people going to see a Michael Jackson biopic are already a fan, but that can’t be entirely the case. The film is unabashedly a crowd-pleaser, and audiences are receiving it that way. The King of Pop has remained popular even as baggage piled up around his adult personal life.
Can you imagine what a similar film about Prince might do at the box office? I’m sure someone is working on that right now.
My review of Michael can be found here. I’m convinced that certain critics went out of their way to try and kill this movie, and they kinda look foolish now. That’s not to say it’s perfect, far from it, but it’s absurd that some of the criticisms have compared it to a Lifetime TV movie. I won’t be surprised if Michael hits or even crosses $200M domestically, and the sky is the limit on the world stage.
I’ve had a lot of unforgettable Sundance experiences over the years. One that will stick with me was the premiere of Cole Webley’s Omaha, a road movie about a struggling father who takes his two kids on a heartbreaking journey across America for reasons that will become clear much later on. The two reasons I’ll remember this are that it’s one of the rare occasions when a movie made the entire theater full of critics bawl like babies. The other is the breakthrough performance by then 9-year-old Molly Belle Wright, who delivers emotion well beyond her years opposite a devastating John Magaro.
In Omaha, Wright plays Ella, who along with her precocious 6-year-old brother Charlie (Wyatt Solis), are blissfully unaware as their father takes them on a roadtrip that will change their lives forever. Set during the 2008 financial crisis, the film finds Dad sacrificing everything for his children along the way, to make sure that this adventure be as happy as it can possibly be for them because of an uncertain future.
Much like Wright herself, Ella is wise well beyond her age, and picks up that something is amiss. It’s one of the things I brought up with Wright during my interview with the talented young actress. She talked about the tough subject matter, the film’s secretive plot, and her comfort at being like an older sister for Wyatt, who was just six years old at the time. Of course, we also talked about sharing the screen with Magaro, who has been a personal favorite of mine since Not Fade Away and continues to impress with recent roles in September 5 and The Bride! He’s one of the best actors working today, and Wright holds her own with him in some of the film’s most powerful exchanges.
Omaha is in New York theaters now and will hit theaters nationwide in May. Check out my conversation with Molly Belle Wright below!
